prescriptivist
1
7.9
- adjective
- /prɪˈskrɪptɪvɪst/
:
prescriptivista
- I cannot prove this with any quotations from him, but my suspicion about Lonergan's reserve, even virtual silence about human rights, should be understood as his seeing them as another code of behavior born of a prescriptivist, classicist mindset while trying to win acceptance in empirical, historically minded cultures.
Examples
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They acquired their language naturally like all children and then learned to speak an unnatural one to satisfy prescriptivist beliefs about linguistic propriety.
Blog text (7) -
You could be part of the change by not letting prejudice make decisions for you, by realizing that language is a wee bit more complicated than "learning to do it right" and "being uneducated," and by understanding that the current prescriptivist culture is about maintaining elitism more than facilitating communication.
Blog text (7) -
Correct use of the language has nothing to do with any kind of "prescriptivist bible."
Blog text (31) -
Mediator: The most annoying thing about pedants is that they are usually correct. Only if you believe in some kind of prescriptivist bible.
Blog text (31) -
They acquired their language naturally, like all children, and then learned to speak an unnatural one to satisfy prescriptivist beliefs about linguistic propriety.
Blog text (7) -
They acquired their language naturally, like all children, and then learned to speak an unnatural one to satisfy prescriptivist beliefs about linguistic propriety.
Blog text (7) -
The language teacher was known for her prescriptivist approach, insisting that students follow traditional grammar rules.
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In discussions about language evolution, some argue that a prescriptivist stance can stifle creativity and expression.
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His prescriptivist beliefs led him to criticize casual texting language as incorrect.
Synonyms
14
7.4
About rules or ideas that say how people should behave
5
7.3
Telling people what rules or standards to follow
1
8.4
Stopping or limiting actions by law
Wanting official rules and controls for government or business
Antonyms
- Specialized
Describing how people actually use language instead of telling them how they should use it
How Strict
Surface Forms
Morphology
prescriptivist = prescriptive (transparent) = prescribe + ive + ist
Formed by adding the productive agent-suffix '-ist' to 'prescriptive'; the meaning 'one who favors prescriptive rules' follows regular English derivation.
Etymology
Prescriptivist comes from prescribe, which has pre- meaning 'before' and scribe meaning 'to write', and it is like prescription when someone is told what to do. So, a prescriptivist attitude is like 'writing down' strict rules and wanting people to follow them.